Hyperfibrinogenemia and hyperviscous plasma in hypertensive Africans

Changes in plasma fibrinogen concentrations (PFC) and relative plasma viscosity (RPV) were investigated in 61 Nigerian Africans while they were being treated for essential hypertension. The association of these hemorhelogic variables with blood pressure was examined. An analogous study was done on 30 normotensive controls for comparison. The hypertensive patients had, overall, a significant increase in both PFC and RPV (p<0.001) as compared with control values. However, 44.3 percent of the hypertensive patients had PFC and RPV values within the defined normal limits. This indicates that in a proportion of the hypertensive, treatment notwithstanding, PFC and RPV are altered only within the physiologic limits.(AU)